In recent years, a trend present in the electronics industry has been to package electronic cables in extremely dense interconnection arrangements. This increase in density has come at the expense of other requirements for cable interconnections, for example electrical fidelity, mechanical reliability, and overall cost.
A cornerstone in the design of a cable connector system is to provide for effective mechanical reliability. More particularly, it is necessary to incorporate a positive latching device with a cable connector system to eliminate inadvertent unplugging of the cable connector system from a mating connector system. Of course, by definition, a cable connector system must provide for selectable unplugging. Therefore, any device that will eliminate inadvertent unplugging, must also be easily defeated when the cable connector system is to be intentionally unmated.
One design which has been employed in the past to prevent inadvertent unplugging of the connector is a "detent" or "semi-positive" latching arrangement. Such a design requires a dual ramped bump, or protuberance, on a first surface of a first connector, and a matching "window" or "detent" on a surface of a mating second connector. Upon insertion of the first connector, the leading edge of the bump is gently sloped and "pops" into the detent on the mating second connector. However, upon unmating, the trailing edge of the bump is more aggressively ramped, and requires a much greater force to "pop" out of the detent. A shortcoming of such a design is that this type of semi-positive latching design is defeated by a force slightly greater than the unplugging force of the connector, which results in inadvertent connector disengagements.
Another approach employed in the electronics industry to provide positive latching is typified in the "latch and eject" style of a header assembly which is defined by military standard MIL-C-83503. This type of interconnection scheme includes latches on either end of a male connector that perform two functions: 1) the latches provide positive latching of a female connector; and 2) the latches provide a lever to easily unmate the interconnection. A shortcoming of this type of connection scheme is that it requires a large amount of additional area to physically support the latches, and to permit the latches to move freely. For the same reasons that the electronics industry is requiring more dense cable interconnection arrangements, additional area to support such a latch arrangement is not readily available.
Another design employed in the electronics industry to increase the mechanical reliability of a cable interconnection arrangement requires that the cables be terminated to a stamped and formed metal contact that has a feature which grips the mating pin when a pulling force is applied to the cables. These metal contacts are grouped in a thermoplastic connector housing in such a fashion that the contacts are allowed to move slightly within the housing. To unmate the connector from the mating pins, a predetermined pulling force is exerted on the housing. A shortcoming of such a design is that if a load is applied to a cable, or cables, while a user attempts to unmate the connector housing from the mating pins, the loaded cable(s) will cinch tightly on the respective pin(s), and disengagement of the connector housing will be prevented. Also, although such a design does readily permit a connector system to plug into confined space arrangements, in a desired unmating evolution of this type of connector system in a confined space, an operator must be able to grip the connector housing, which is extremely difficult.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present cable connector arrangements. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an improved cable connector system directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.